Immediately after finishing this I am left with so many questions. Why is this a The Horus Heresy: Primarchs™ story and not just a Horus Heresy™ story? It even says "A Word Bearers Story" on the cover! Lorgar is referenced offscreen once. This is a story about one sneaky, sardonic Astartes. Other questions include, how are stories about this character always so mid when he is such a great bit part? (There's a reason why the Spider in ASOIAF/ GOT is such a great character, but would never get their own spinoff). Does the editor of Lupercal's War have a sadomasochistic relationship with Chris Wraight? There's a lot of his work in here, but the positioning is almost always setting them up for harsher critique. This after Little Horus is brutal, although I seem to be in the minority on this.

And, most pressingly, why did you write a story purely to put in a fun twist on a character, but not one necessarily big enough to be the foundation of a story, which is then padded out with...nothing?

An unnamed colchisian charlatan recounts the story of how he came to be a Space Marine and a schemer.

***Spoilers below, but the twist happens very near the beginning and is very obvious, and everyone else has already spoiled it, some with pictures!***

I love to hate Erebus. He is a wonderful embodiment of the evil advisor and schemer trope. I have yet to read a short story in which he is the star, especially if he is the narrator, that lives up the hype of a character like Erebus. The Subtle Knife training montage was pretty good, but I've yet to come across a banger. I think this is largely because the role he plays is not the to be in the spotlight and stories like The Shards of Erebus work better because there are other players and the contemporary plot and training are both interesting things to focus on that aren't just the Hand of Destiny at an open mic night trying out new gear.

I feel like I am being really mean to Wraight recently, and I want to reiterate that I think he's a good writer who can knock it out of the park with the right subject and narrative. The thing that puts him in my crosshairs is that my unique cocktail of neurodivergences hyperfixate on missed potential and the uncanny valley. This isn't a bad story at all. In fact, especially with the narration, everyone understands the assignment that Wraight is going for. I just don't think it does anything good for the character or telling a better than decent story. It really is just over half hour of Erebus saying how sneaky and clever and cool he is, while everyone around him is a loser, especially those stinky, dirty Davinites. Like, we get it. We've seen all this before and it's better when it comes up in a more narrative context when Erebus can run into the apartment of whichever legion he is living opposite at the time to a standing ovation from the Rembrancers in the live audience as he takes a big swig of behind the fridge and faces Russ with a big ole mjod mustache *The Remembrancers laugh so hysterically that four faint and three birth daemonettes with their mirth swansong*.

I just need more to get my teeth into and less of this essentially a clips show edited to make a new episode.

*** The Twist Spoiler***

The twist is actually really fun, if very Shyamalan. The idea that Erebus is just an even more sketchy dude who robbed the actual Erebus (human preacher on Colchis) and assumed his identity to profit and get an in with Lorgar, and thereby be the Apostle of Doom on the back of a criminal prank is just good clean fun. I mean funny, is funny. I'm sarcastic, but it is actually pretty funny and good, actually. Just not enough to base this story on. A character focused piece that was all about this nameless sketchy fucker and the devout priest Erebus with maybe a little Tell-tale Heart going on would be amazing.

We have Erebus at home...

I'm sorry, I am mean when I come from a high to a mid and when I haven't slept because of health stuff. ( )